You can judge a blog by its cover

Black background, no real header, undefined layout. Could I have done anything more to create a poor first impression?

Now, I must say I actually like black backgrounds (I’m weird that way) but when readers told me it made their eyes twitch I got rid of it, along with a lot of other things.

I took my time with the new look, though (I’m learning!) and it was worth it. My readers love it and I do, too. Still, I can’t help but wonder how many potential readers I turned away with that first template.

Oh, another reason I should have given more thought to the design—that eye-crossing black template was shown on sites like Technorati for weeks (and is still showing on StumbleUpon), even after I’d updated the image through Snaps.com.

“If you build it, they will come”… Not

Though I’ve read ProBlogger for years and should have known better, I guess I thought that somehow I’d be the exception. My idea was so awesome, so original, so entertaining that it would naturally attract a huge following.

The first months have been encouraging, but I think the response would have been much greater had I introduced the site better. Like networking with other bloggers and putting social media in place…beforehand!

So, when you get that next great blog idea STOP

Think about your vision for the site. Write down some short and long term goals.

Create your design carefully. Looks really do matter on the web.

And consider how best to share your blog with others. Don’t just tiptoe in through the backdoor. Make the grandest entrance you can.

Musing a.k.a. QuoteHunter is a freelance writer who highlights great blogger quotes atBlogtations. She also got the title idea for this article from her friendJD’s blog.

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Comments

Musing wrote simple but common mistakes we really do.
How many times I’ve changed the design without looking
some other blogs with those design before decide.
And did not plan the tags and categories too.
Thanks

Some of the problems you talked about having yourself are the ones that so many people continue to have. I wish people could read something right before they start their blog so they know what they really are going to have to do. Too many people create a blog and think people are just going to come.

I must say, I applaud you on your approach to blogging. The Ready-Fire-Aim method works quite well in the blogging world.

Everybody is going to make mistakes, and of course you can plan all you want. But there comes a point where you can over think things and talk yourself out of what you want.

Instead, just put something up. Try it out, if it doesn’t work then change it, if it still doesn’t work then revise it again. Keep at it until you hit gold for a design. The only way to learn how to be a blogger is by doing it. Don’t get too caught up in the details right away, the best part of blogging is the journey!

Great post. I am a “Let’s dive in and do it” kind of blogger and to have someone say “Slow down and think about what you are doing.” is exactly what I need to hear!!! Also, you can only go as fast as you learn… Thank heavens for blog gurus like the Problogger!!!

Great post! And good advice. Altho, when you have an idea as great as Blogtations, it must be hard to reign in the passion. But you did, and the result shows in your site, which is nice to look at, easy to navigate, and most important, fun to read. Addictive, actually. Congratulations!

This is perfect timing for me. I’m thinking of starting another site and this advice to stop and really think it all through before jumping in and buying a URL, setting up the blog, etc. It’s hard to fight the urge and not ride the excitement of this new thing, but I know it’s for the best. As for the design, that’s one mistake I made with TWC, and one I hope to not repeat it again.

Ha! I did the same thing a month ago for my poker blog – http://www.virtualfelt.com! Black background, had no idea what I was doing, I just wanted one 125 x 125 ad up! I thought those things looked so money! I just wanted to publish that bad boy! It was weeeeak! It’s amazing how slowly but surely you learn, but that’s like anything in life! We look back and say “what was I thinking?” Nice post.

I really relate to this post. I did the same thing. I am still in the process of constantly refining my sites, but my feedback has increased 1,000%. A great idea needs to be planned well to get other people as excited about it as you are. Great information, please keep it up.

As someone who’s been reading Blogtations from the beginning, I’m just happy you went forward with the idea; personally if I sit and “prepare” for an idea too long, I get bored and move on so sometimes it’s better to plow ahead, making mistakes along the way. We learn by making mistakes, and that’s part of the fun of blogging and life (when you look *back* on them) ;)

Nice post, I completely agree with all your points there. I must admit I spent ages on the design of my blog but in the end got a bit bored of CSS and rushed it at the end. I think my design came out alright in the end although there are bits of it I would change. I did start 2 blogs rather too quickly and they have fallen by the wayside. With my current blog though I have taken a bit more time.

The only thing I would do differently too is the ‘making a big entrance’. I am only now starting to make people aware of my blog and am beginning to see the increase in visitors, slowly but surely.

This all sounds pretty familiar. Who hasn’t dived in headfirst and then found that a bit of planning might have been a good idea? After a couple of attempts at blogging I have decided that it would be good idea to find a mentor who sets out the steps to follow. Well that’s what I’m trying to do now with blogging. And it seems to be working.

I would be nothing without networking. It wasn’t until the 3rd month of blogging I learned how and where to reach out. My other mistake was starting with Blogger. Had I known how much work it would take to move to self-hosted WordPress, I would have started there. Live and learn.

Good planing is always the right way to do it. Usually if you figure out the big theme and then brake it down into more secondary themes you should have a good understanding of what you want to do.

Planing will also help you to develop your idea and to really see if your idea has potential or if you really know something about it.

I would also recommend trying to figure out ways of monetizing your blog. I mean, if you’re interested in getting readers and traffic then you’re thinking of monetizing your blog for sure. You should have at least 3 ways of monetizing.

As someone who recently started a blog, I would also suggest doing the following:

Write 1 – 2 weeks worth of posts BEFORE launching your blog so that you have a cushion.

Pick out 2 to 3 social media / networking sites you will use to promote and network with others. Then create your account and begin to mingle with other members to help build awareness for your future blog.

Leave X number of worthy comments on popular blogs to also help build awareness of your name

It’s easy starting a new blog, but it isn’t easy for me to get it into a nicer shape. I took quite a lot of time searching for templates for my blog, searching for the images for creating the header, doing the design and redesigning. Though, I don’t think it’s not really optimized especially for adsense.

But after getting done in design, we still have to put a lot of work on contents. It’s really quite easy to get through posting and posting regularly. But it’s still a must to keep the blog rolling, isn’t it?

Thanks for sharing your knowledge cause I learn quite a lot from you through this website.

Nice write up!
My blog used used to have a black background when it started out. And I got the same feedback from readers…it’s too hard on the eyes. Since then I have found reader feedback to of great help,

Yikes. I didn’t realize until I read this what a huge mistake the black background was. As a beginner who is just a few months in and knows very little about design, I would like to change my header and design, remain on Blogger and still maintain some of the little identity I’ve established. Is there any hope for me?

Some great tips. I am not good at the social media aspect of things. I’m getting some of it done, but other aspects are lacking and I just haven’t seen the traffic that I would like. I’m going to need to find a detailed ‘how to’ guide on it.

Thanks for the tips, it’s always nice to hear someone indicate the things they’d do differently.

that mistake i been doing all alone, it took me more than two years to realize my mistake. but some time i learn the mistake in very hard way, but even so i feel fortunate because at least i can learn my mistake.

about setting goal, i do write about it in my blog, for me setting goal is very important like doing business. Blogging is just like doing business you failed or success all depend on how your customer/reader felt.

Great summary of beginner mistakes bloggers can make..I think as far as the “eye-twitching” background goes, that can be a potential asset in some instances. If you’re looking to create a blog to make money with Adsense, that just might prompt visitors to click away ;)

Thanks for mentioning how important the design style of a blog is. I remember when I launched my first blog, I thought it looked great. However, my first post that got traffic on Digg, also got me a lot of negative comments about the design. So, it also goes to show how the community can provide valuable input in this area. (An yes, I changed the design a few days later).

Good points. However, from my experience The Monetizer is right when he says the eye twitching background can be an asset. When we changed our website, http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com, from black background to white background people loved the improvement. But adsense revenue dropped 30%. It’s worth noting that prettier isn’t always better.

Who does not commit mistakes. I have had my share of stupid and enlightening mistakes that have helped me provide better services to my clients. Which is why I took almost 2 months to get my personal website design to match accepted standards.

I agree with this one, a blog design does helping you to get more visitor but not all good blog come from design, there are several blog i seen that have good design and template but all of them have less post and none seems to be interesting

Just multiply those mistakes by nine. Because with my nine blogs (I kid you not) I am making every mistake in the book. One of my sites literally has a black background with blue links. Nice…about the excitement factor. I am totally gong ho about my site Divorce Saloon. As a New York Divorce Attorney, I’m supposed to be “excited” about divorce, right? Well, there is a side to divorce that can be quite entertaining. I say that with the best intention. I mean, generally it is not a laughing matter. But what are you going to do? Kill yourself? You have to learn to see the humor in these things….I think the layout on that one is the best of the nine. But I don’t know if I”m the best judge.

My blog has a gray background, similar to the background exterior of this site, with white text. I find it easy to read, but then I am not the audience. If anyone would be kind enough to check it out and give me their opinion, it would be greatly appreciated. I probably need a custom header tool.

I think these are all great tips. One thing I find helpful and easy to manage is setting up mini goals. Monthly works well. Set some targets, traffic is a bit unpredictable but you can set goals for link building, how many posts, how many forum contributions and maybe a short checklist on mechanics (fix sidebar, fix subscription area etc). It enables you to look at your blog a little more seriuosly (if it’s not just a hobby blog).

Some of the fun of blogging is the sponteneity, the enthusiam, the passion, and running in headfirst.

But you are absolutely right, for a money-making blog, it’s good to think through things a bit. That’s why my “great idea” for a second blog isn’t going to happen now when I’m very busy with three small children.

Then there’s a good saying, perfection isn’t profitable… so take some time to plan but you have to also be willing to try to experiment and to change.

I’m hoping to learn from mistakes and also have a lot of fun along the way.

This is a mistake many people make they focus most of their time of the design because some new douche (nah I didn’t mean about you Musing, I just think you still haven’t realized this) and say…WOW THE DESIGN MATTERS IT LEAVES THE FIRST IMPREEEEESSSIOOOON.

OK, this is OK, I don’t say the design doesn’t matter.

BUT DOES IT BRINGS THE TRAFFIC?

Heard of 80/20 rule?

I think when you all guys mention that the design is matter you should also mention that it SHOULD NOT BE THE PRIMARY THINK YOU SHOULD FOCUS ON. It should be in those 20%…

What you should focus on is those 20% that bring you 80% of your blog overall performance…and that is ASSETS.

CONTENT, NETWORKING…if you focus your time 70% of content, 10% of networking and 20% of design, fixing some small bugs and stuff like that I think you would get very far.

So, tell the design matter but that not be the thing they should focus on most of their time.